Set Free
by lindsey and marie enterprises
Summary: An Elven princess joins the Fellowship in Rivendell, wearing a mask concealing her true past.  However, someone else sees right through her.  But can he help her see that her painful past can really set her free in the end?  By Marie
1. Prologue

_**Author's Note: Hey guys! Marie here. No, this isn't a rewrite of **_**Not What They Expected**_**…not yet, anyway. So, here's the prologue of my new story, **_**Set Free! **_**I hope you enjoy!**_

**Prologue**

"Alasse," my mother whispered to me, "we must move. They are coming."

I snapped my eyes open from my small bed on my tree branch. I dropped gracefully, then swung onto my horse, my mother doing the same. We had only just turned our horses in the right direction when we heard a battle cry.

"Mother…" I began.

"Run!" she shouted. And that's what we did. That's what we've been doing for the past two days. Running from those _things_, Orcs. They had raided our home, killing all who came in their path. Mother and I watched my father die at their hands, fleeing just as the things noticed us. We've been running forever. I just wanted them to leave us alone.

_Just go away. I turned my horse sharply right as I kept close to my mother._

"Alasse!" she shouted. The things were coming closer. "Go! Run!"

"No!" I screamed. "I won't leave you!"

"Go!" she shouted again, before shouting a command to my horse in Elvish.

"No!" I screamed again, but the horse has already heard the command, and it was already racing to whatever destination Mother told it to. The things completely ignore me for some reason; I guess they are too stupid to hear more than one thing at a time. As I kept speeding towards a large house, the horse slid to a stop, throwing me off. I landed at the house's door with a thump and a groan, and I heard voices. A man of my kind with long black hair and flowing robes emerged and saw me lying there.

"What is this?" he asked in a voice I could tell seemed to view the whole world logically. "Who are you, my daughter?" I inwardly cringed at that reference.

"My mother. She is-" I pointed in the direction I saw her go, but it was accompanied by a scream. "Mother…" I whispered.

"Child." The man walked closer. "What is your name?"

"It is…" I realized how insignificant my name was to myself at that moment. "It is Nienor, my lord." His face was puzzled, but he had no time to question it, for a boy about two or three peeked out from behind him.

"Papa? Who dis?" he asked in that adorable toddler dialect. He tottled in front of me, peering at me with his wide hazel eyes. "My name Estel." He smiled proudly, showing his small pearly teeth.

"Come, Nienor." The man helped me to my feet. "You may stay here for the rest of your days, if that is your desire. However, you need not decide that now. For now, let us get you indoors so you may rest." I nodded weakly, and he led me into his home.

So began my life in the house of Elrond.


	2. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: Hey guys! Marie here with chapter one! Thanks for the reviews. **__** By the way, would you like to read a **_**Swan Princess**_** fic by me? It'll be modern day, but it'll still have the original songs (and some other ones…kinda like a **_**Moulin Rouge**_**, if you will) and some things will be changed, and some summers written in detail. Hope you will consider! Sorry for the long ramble. Onward!**_

**Chapter 1**

As I grew, the women in Rivendell began to notice me, mostly because of my appearance. They always admired the qualities I had: my softly curly amber-colored hair and my big, gray-blue, slightly almond-shaped eyes. They always said my eyes reminded them of a storm at sea. I just agreed with them, knowing where the real storm was located.

"You look almost the opposite of your sister!" they always said. I would always smile, thinking about my "sister" Arwen. She was my best friend, taking me in as one of their own. She and Papa had told everyone I was his long-lost daughter, and they accepted me immediately, mostly out of sympathy when I was younger. Only Arwen saw me as a person and not a thing that needed pity. That's why I think we became friends so quickly. Because our looks were quite opposite, Arwen was known as Awen Evenstar, and I was Arin Anar, the Morning Sun. Everyone still called me Nienor, though, because Arin Anar was a mouthful and only for formal occasions.

It wasn't only the women that started to notice me, though. The men started to have open eyes as well. None of them ever really said anything because of a hidden talent of mine: I was a fighter, and they knew it. I still had my Mirkwood bow, and it was my constant companion at any fighting match, which were very rare. At archery I was the best in Rivendell, and it was our best-kept secret.

"Good morning, Nienor! Is the Sun a little late in rising lately?" a voice teased one morning.

"Aragorn?" I slowly opened my eyes, meeting a scruffy face leaning over me, smiling like a crazy person. "Estel!" I cried, throwing my arms around him.

"Good to see you again as well, my _osell__ë_," Aragorn laughed, returning my hug.

"Why are you here?" I asked, finally releasing him.

"There is to be a council today."

"About?"

"The…the Ring." I tensed up. The Ring of Power had been rumored to have been "awakened" and was in the Shire.

"Is the Ring-Bearer here?" I asked, swinging my legs out of bed so I was sitting up.

"He is recovering. Arwen brought him in a few days ago, and I followed with some of his kin that decided to accompany him."

"Oh? And does Lady Evenstar know of your presence?" Through the stubble on his face, I could see the beginnings of a blush. I knew all abut his and Arwen's relationship. Since Aragorn was essentially a little brother to me, I watched him grow from the adorable toddler I first saw to the wise man sitting in front of me blushing today. I watched his first reaction to Arwen when I introduced them and had to keep myself from laughing as he tried to keep his eyes from bulging out of his head. It was truly the funniest thing I'd ever seen.

"Yes, she does," he replied, still blushing.

"Good. I wouldn't want her getting jealous by you visiting me instead of her," I teased, fishing for a dress. Finding a dark blue one that I liked, I stepped into another room, slipping it on. "Who is all coming to this council?"

"The Ring-Bearer and his uncle, Gandalf."

"Gandalf's here?" I exclaimed, stepping out of the room and looking for my best cloak. Aragorn nodded. Aragorn and I had both spent many hours sitting at the feet of Gandalf the Gray whenever he came to Rivendell, drinking in his wisdom.

"I know that Elrond has requested you to be there, as well as myself."

"Well, let us go." I swung my light blue cloak around my shoulders and followed Aragorn out of my room to the council.

X X X X X

"Oh Valar, look at them all!" I whispered to Aragorn as we walked to find our seats. The council had not begun yet, and there were already people from every race present: Men, Dwarves, a Hobbit, and-of course-Elves. My eyes swept over them, looking for a familiar face and finding none. "I know none of these people save you, Papa, and Gandalf," I quickly whispered.

"More are to come," Aragorn replied, sitting in his appointed seat before lowering his voice. "You must promise not to say anything about my lineage. Understand?"

"Who is coming that should not know?" I asked. Not to be stubborn, just out of curiosity.

"The Steward of Gondor's son."

_Ahh. _He wouldn't want to know about Isildur's heir, and I completely understood. "Where am I to sit?"

"There. I don't know who will be sitting beside-oh, there he is." An Elf dismounted his horse and came towards his chair as I headed towards mine. I almost faltered in my steps as I saw his face.

"Prince Legolas," I whispered.


	3. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note: Hi guys! Marie here with chapter two! I'm SO sorry about the wait, I had to make sure I had everything I wanted in this chapter. So, here it is!**_

**Chapter 2**

"H-Hello, your Highness." I managed to keep it together as I curtsied as casually as possible, but succeeded only in tripping. Legolas reacted quickly, catching me before I fell, giving me a small smile.

"Greetings, my lady. Does one as fair as you have a name?" he asked kindly, setting me on my own two feet.

_Curse you with you princely flattery_. I blushed-hard.

"Her name is Arin Anar, Legolas." Aragorn came in and saved the day.

"The Morning Sun?" Legolas lifted my chin gently to raise my face, which was still downwards from trying to hide my blush. "The sun is fair these days." He looked at Aragorn, making me blush even harder, which I didn't think was possible. Because of our closeness, I could smell some of my previous home: the oak trees, mixed with a warm sun.

"Just…Lady Nienor is fine, my lord." I tried to smile through my (still red) face. I saw his blue eyes cloud for a moment at my name.

_Please don't recognize me. _Please _don't recognize me._

"A storm is in your eyes. How could a lady so fair experience such sorrow?" I opened my mouth to answer, but everyone had arrived at the council, so we had to sit down as Papa began to speak.

"Strangers from distant lands…friends of old. You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite…or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one Doom…"

Here he turned to a very short man to his right. "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo." Slowly, the very small man that looked almost like a child stepped forward, placing the small gold band on the table before returning quickly to his seat with a sigh. He reminded me of an Elf, but my thoughts were interrupted at someone speaking.

"So it is true!" A Man near Aragorn said softly as people began to murmur. I chanced a glance at Legolas as he studied the Ring with a cautious eye before my attention was taken by the Man again as he stood.

"In a dream," he began, looking at the Ring, "I saw the Eastern sky grow dark." As he spoke, he walked closer to the Ring, a strange gleam in his eye. "In the West, a pale light lingered. A voice was crying, 'Your doom is near at hand; Isildur's Bane is found." Papa and Gandalf exchanged concerned looks as the Man stretched his hand out, reaching for the Ring. "Isildur's Bane…"

"Boromir!" Papa shouted, quickly rising to his feet.

I jumped in shock as a darker voice took over Papa's, the sky growing dark as the Man-Boromir-jumped back.

"_Azh nazg durbatul__ûk, azh nazg gimbatul_." Gandalf rose, the dark words coming from him as Boromir jumped back to his chair, a Dwarf shouting something. "_Azh nazg thrakatulûk._" My head was pounding, and I closed my eyes to try to block out the words, the pain. "_Agh burzum-ishi krimpatul_."

Once the words stopped, I opened my eyes, and it looked like nothing had happened. The sun had streamed back through the trees, and a stunned Boromir almost fell into his chair.

Papa's head snapped to Gandalf, his voice appalled and angered. "Never before has anyone uttered words of that tongue here in Imladris."

"I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond," Gandalf replied, "for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West." He looked at all of us, his voice almost trembling. "The Ring is altogether evil." He sat down next to Frodo, and he looked like a weary man again, not the booming voice that had caused my head to throb.

Boromir shook his head before standing yet again. "No, it is a gift…a gift to the foes of Mordor! Why not use this Ring?"

"Who is that?" I whispered to no one in particular.

"That is Boromir of Gondor," Legolas put in quickly, "his father is the Steward." I nodded quickly in understanding before paying attention to this Boromir again.

"Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, held the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe! Give Gondor the weapon of the Enemy. Let us use it against him!"

_So _that's _what's going to rule Gondor in a few years…Estel, the future doesn't look too bright without you._

"You cannot wield it. None of us can," Estel interrupted the Man's ramble, as if he'd heard my thoughts. "The One Ring answers to Sauron alone…it has no other master."

Boromir looked at him coolly. "And what would a Ranger know of this matter?"

_Oh, if I hadn't made a promise, I'd inform you about who you're talking to!_

"This is no mere Ranger!" Legolas said angrily as he sprang up from his seat, staring Boromir down. "He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."

Boromir viewed Estel with a new light. "Aragorn? _This_ is Isildur's heir?"

"And heir to the throne of Gondor," Legolas added. I knew he'd hit a soft spot by the look on Boromir's face, and Aragorn saw it, too.

"_Havo dad, Legolas_," he said softly. Legolas obeyed the command and sat down in his chair again.

Boromir's eyes were of ice. "Gondor had no king." He stalked back to his chair. "Gondor _needs_ no king." Boromir sat smugly back in his seat, and I resisted the desire to punch him in the face.

"Aragorn is right. We cannot use it," Gandalf agreed.

"Then there is one choice: the Ring must be destroyed," Papa said solemnly.

"Then what are we waiting for?" the red-haired Dwarf next to me growled, standing up and walking over to the table with his axe. Swinging downward, he hit the Ring, which resulted in flashing a fiery red eye.

I watched as Frodo held his head in one hand, staring at the Ring with almost-horror. Perhaps he had seen something none of us had.

Papa addressed the Dwarf who had tried to break the Ring and had been knocked away from the small table, his axe blade splintered to pieces. "The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by any craft that we here possess. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade." Papa looked at all of us, his voice trembling with the seriousness of the task. "It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this."

Silence filled the area. I listened to the leaves fall around me.

Boromir slowly began speaking again. "One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep, and the Great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust; the very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly."

"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?" Legolas hopped up again, facing Boromir. "The Ring must be destroyed!"

"And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" Gimli growled.

"And what if he is?" I demanded, standing, ignoring whatever Boromir was saying. "It's the choice of the council, not just one person!"

"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" Everyone exploded and began to argue. "Never trust an Elf!" Gimli shouted.

"Dwarves aren't any better!" I barked back, about to move forward to give the Dwarf a piece of my mind, but something held me back.

It was Legolas, his arms stretched in front of the Elves that had come to the council, almost protecting us from the Dwarves. I opened my mouth to say something else as the arguments increased, but I was slammed with such a headache I was forced to sit back down, cradling my head in my hands.

Visions of my family, my old home flashed before my eyes. My father being almost ripped apart before me, my mother saving me at the expense of her own life…Mirkwood in a river of flames…the Orcs returning…

I felt a gentle, yet rough, pair of hands on top of mine, and forced myself to look at the person.

"_Otorno_," I gasped. "It is killing me." Legolas, concerned, broke away from his argument, kneeling beside Estel as Gandalf's voice rang out like a faint shout from a distant tower.

"Do you not understand? While we bicker among ourselves, Sauron's power grows! No one will escape it. You will all be destroyed, your homes burnt and your families put to the sword!"

My head continued to pound as the arguing raged, the visions getting stronger…then I heard a clear, strong voice.

"I will take it! I will take it…" People stopped, and Aragorn and Legolas helped me rise as my headache dissipated, looking at the little Hobbit that had spoken. "I will take the Ring to Mordor," he said, his voice firm and almost commanding.

He looked around at all of us much larger people, getting a little timid. "Though…I do not know the way."

Gandalf came behind him, placing his hands on his shoulders. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear."

Aragorn strode forward, kneeling before Frodo. "If by my life or death I can protect you, I will."

"I will as well." I stepped forward, much to Aragorn and Papa's surprise. "I can't just let my brother out of my sight again."

He smiled, then turned back to Frodo. "You have our swords."

"And you have my bow." Legolas stepped forward as well, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"And my axe," Gimli grunted. Frodo looked at us all in grateful wonder as Boromir rose.

"You carry the fate of us all, little one." He looked around at everyone present. "If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done." Boromir went to stand behind Frodo.

"Hey!" a sudden voice cried from behind us in the bushes. In a few rustles, another Hobbit rushed forward. "Mr. Frodo's not goin' anywhere without me." The Hobbit planted himself next to Frodo.

Papa's eyes twinkled in amusement. "No, indeed…it is hardly possible to separate you, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not." The Hobbit blushed gratefully.

"Oi!" another shrill voice shouted from the pillars. "We're coming too!"

_Two more_ Hobbits popped out, rushing next to Frodo. "You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us," the older of the two said confidently.

"Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission. Quest. Thing," the younger one added in.

"Well, that rules you out, Pip," his companion whispered to him. Pip shook his head worriedly as the rest of us smiled.

Papa looked at us thoughtfully. "Ten companions…" He raised his voice slightly. "So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."

"Great," Pip smiled. "Where are we going?"

_Oh, Hobbits. _I smiled, and noticed Papa was slipping away, and he looked…sad. Giving Aragorn a worried look, I followed Papa to wherever he was going.


	4. Chapter 3

**_Author's Note: Hey, guys! Marie here-yeah, I'm still alive-with Chapter Three! I'm horribly sorry about the wait; after Junior Miss ended in February, Honor's English, Geometry, and APUSH took over! But, no worries! I've managed to piece a pretty decent chapter (I hope) after a quick YouTube trip to refresh my memory! Enough of me, here you go!_**

Chapter 3

"Papa?" I walked slowly into his study. He was sitting in a chair, his head in his hands. "What's wrong?"

He looked up at me, his eyes glassy. "I fear for you, Nienor. This journey has dangers I cannot protect you from, including Sauron himself."

"I know," I replied.

"_Yendë nin, bedich le ego?_" My heart almost broke at that name, that endearment. It almost swayed me to stay, but I remembered my promise.

"_Ada, Im...Im baur na ceri hi._"

"Then...you have my blessing, my daughter," he placed a kiss on my head before handing me a sword. "It was mine before I passed it to Arwen. It protected the Ring-Bearer before, and I pray Hadhafang shall protect again."

"Thank you, Papa," I breathed, strapping the weapon around me. He embraced me one last time, then let me go rest for tomorrow.

As I journeyed to my room, I heard a few voices I'd recognized from the council earlier. Peeking behind a column, I saw Legolas run down some steps to join Boromir, Gimli, and two of the Hobbits. Gathering a little confidence, I waited a few moments before going down the stairs as well, joining them.

"Oh, you're the other Elf coming with us!" one of the Hobbits-I think his friend called him Pip-exclaimed, standing up and walking over to me. He was very small, as I'd come to recognize Hobbits, coming about to my waist as he looked up, peering at me with misty blue eyes under a head full of curls.

"I am," I smiled. "I'm Nienor."

"I'm Peregrin Took-but most people call me Pippin," he replied, looking back at his friend. "That's my cousin-"

"Meriadoc Brandybuck," his friend suddenly said, standing up and walking over to my right, taking my hand. "But you may call me Merry, my lady." He gave my hand a quick little kiss, stepping back and smiling at Pippin.

Legolas smiled at the pair of cousins, gesturing that I could join them. "I understand we have met, but the other two have not gotten acquainted with you." I sat beside Legolas, Merry on my right with Pippin right beside him.

"Gimli," the dwarf said gruffly. "Son of Gloin."

I nodded, turning towards the Man. He still had a slightly cool aura about him, but he had relaxed a little since the council. "Boromir, son of Denathor, the Steward of Gondor."

"Nienor, daughter of Elrond," I said, my title sounding small and timid compared to his.

"I always thought Elrond only had one daughter," Boromir said quietly, studying me.

"I was...lost...for many years," I replied, looking down. "I was hunting with a my father and some of his men when a group of orcs on Wargs came almost out of the blue. They were chasing a company that Gandalf was leading, many of them dwarves."

Gimli seemed to remember something. "Thorin's company. My father was among them!"

I smiled. "I helped defend your father, then. There was one dwarf that was an archer, so we helped protect him when he ran out of ammunition. In the commotion, I was wounded and had to pull away and hide. Once the commotion died down, I pulled out and...they were gone. The wizard Radagast the Brown found me, and helped me heal. I stayed longer to learn more about the woods and the area surrounding me. I suppose I lost track of time."

Legolas nodded. "Any forest can do such a thing."

"Especially one with a wizard," I agreed. "My father ran into me in the woods, and almost didn't recognize me. I finally returned home, and...well...here I am."

"A company of dwarves. Didn't Bilbo go on a trip with some dwarves, Merry?" Pippin asked.

"The same company," Gimli said, looking at me with a hint of pride in his eye. "I've heard many a tale about the adventure of Thorin Oakenshield and his hobbit burglar."

"Let's hear a few, then!" Pippin exclaimed, his eyes bright with excitement. "I've never heard the dwarf side of the story!"

Gimli smiled, and the rest of us settled back for the dwarf to begin. "It all started in Erebor..."

After awakening with dwarf-songs in my mind, I dressed quickly and went to stand with the rest of the Fellowship before Papa and a small assembly of Elves, all of us ready to depart for our quest. I looked around, making sure that we had all of our company; we did, even Merry, gently slapping the cheeks of the sleepy Pippin, who was humming a song Gimli had sung.

"Good morning, my lady," a quiet voice said.

I looked away from the two Hobbits, seeing Legolas, fresh from a night of rest. He had light traveling gear on, his bow and quiver stuffed with arrows on his back.

"Good morning, my lord," I replied, adjusting my own quiver and the strap of my leather satchel, a gift from Estel a few years ago. All of us fell silent as Papa stepped foreword to speak.

"The Ring-Bearer is setting out on the quest of Mount Doom and you who travel with him, no oath nor bond is laid to go further than you will." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aragorn flash Arwen a chaste smile; she dropped her head, trying to hide her pink cheeks. "Farewell," Papa continued. "Hold to your purpose and may the blessings of Elves," here he glanced at Legolas and I, "and Men," to Boromir, "and all free folk go with you." After he glanced at Gimli, he raised his hand in farewell.

"The Fellowship awaits the Ring-Bearer," Gandalf said quietly.

With our blessing from Papa, Frodo swallowed hard and walked from the shelter of Rivendell, Gandalf directly behind him as the rest of us fell in line. I let Boromir pass before I turned around, seeing Aragorn lingering for a moment, giving Arwen one last glance. He turned, giving me a weak smile and falling in step with me.

"Mordor, Gandalf," he whispered quietly. "Is it left or right?"

"Left," the wizard replied good-naturedly, putting a gentle hand on Frodo's shoulder.

So left we went; our journey had begun.

Gandalf eventually took the lead as we left Rivendell, then Aragorn, then Legolas and I, followed by the Hobbits with a pony. Boromir guarded the rear.

After a few hours of walking, Gandalf decided we all needed a rest, much to the Hobbits relief. Frodo helped his friend start a quick fire while Boromir decided to teach Merry and Pippin how to sword fight. I seated myself on a rock near Gandalf, scanning the land around us for any movement.

"Did you want anything to eat, ma'am?" a quiet voice asked.

I turned, seeing the other Hobbit in our company. He had taken his large pack with pots and pans off of his back, and had a small plate of food in his hand, looking at me expectantly with warm brown eyes. "Oh, I do not. Thank you, though."

He smiled, setting the plate down for a moment and simply standing there. He seemed like he didn't know what else to say, but he didn't want to leave. "What's your name?" I asked, encouraging him to speak.

"Samwise Gamgee-or just Sam, if you'd rather."

"Pleasure to meet you, Sam. I'm Nienor." I patted the rock beside me, inviting him to sit. He obliged, and I noticed how his gaze flickered over to Frodo before it made it back to me. "How did you end up on this journey?"

Sam sighed. "I'm Mister Frodo's gardener. I overheard him and Mister Gandalf talkin' about the Ring and all that, so he decided to let me go with him-me and Bill." He looked over to the pony before looking directly at me, determination in his eyes. "Mister Gandalf told me, -Don't you lose him, Samwise Gamgee.- And I don't mean to."

"I think that we all feel the same way," I replied, giving Sam a reassuring smile.

"I think I need to give this plate to Mister Frodo," he said, sliding off the rock. "Don't need to waste nothin'." He smiled once more at me, picking up the plate and carrying it towards the fire.

Once the Hobbit had departed, Gandalf sat on a rock, lighting his pipe and taking a deep pull before speaking to Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and I. "We must hold to his course west of the Misty Mountains for forty days. If our luck holds, the Gap of Rohan will still be open to us. From there, our road turns east, to Mordor." Legolas nodded, walking on some rocks to sweep over the landscape again.

"If anyone were to ask for my opinion, which I note they have not," Gimli began, "I would say we are taking the long way 'round. Gandalf, we can pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin, Balin, would give us a royal welcome."

"No, Gimli. I would not take the road through Moria unless I had no other choice." Gandalf replied, and that settled the matter for now.

I suddenly heard an "Ow!", followed by an apology from Boromir before he gave a sudden cry of pain as well. I glanced over, seeing Boromir and his pupils had forsaken swords and were on the ground, the Hobbits on top of him and engaging him in a battle of the tickles.

"For the Shire!" Merry and Pippin cried above the protests of the man below them. Aragorn eventually went to aid him, but was knocked on his back as well, causing me to laugh a little.

"What is that?" Sam suddenly asked, pointing to the sky. A black form was moving close to where we were.

"Nothing...it's just a wisp of a cloud." Gimli answered, not giving the 'cloud' second thought.

"It's moving fast..." Boromir noted as he was being helped up, "against the wind." I nodded, studying the 'cloud'. It seemed too...disrupted, like it was made of more than one thing...

Something clicked in Legolas' head. "_Crebain_ from Dunland!" he cried.

"HIDE!" Aragorn and I shouted at the same time, knowing what the things were.

"Merry, Pippin, Sam, take cover!" I heard Aragorn say as we scrambled to various places for coverage, putting out fires and gathering cloaks. I slid under a knot of bare branches next to Legolas just as the _Crebian_ flew over, squawking as they circled our little hiding places. I could smell the faint scents of our home clinging to Legolas' clothing, beckoning me to tell him how much I missed it all, but all the regrets, the pain...it all held me back.

Eventually, the flapping and squawking died down, and Gandalf emerged from his hiding place, the rest of us following suit.

"Spies of Saruman. The passage South is being watched." Gandalf looked upwards as Legolas pulled me out of the brambles. "We must take the pass of Caradhras!" I braced myself for the long hike upwards, knowing of the snow and cold temperature.

The hike upwards was relativley easy for Legolas and I, but I tried to avoid him, just incase he suddenly recognized me. So, I fell to the back of the group with Aragorn and Frodo.

"Elrond gave you Hadhafang?" Aragorn asked, gesturing to the sword strapped to my waist.

I nodded. "A parting gift. To protect the Ring-Bearer."

Frodo's eyes looked at the blade curiously. "Didn't that blade belong to the Princess Idril?" he asked.

I was shocked at the question. "It did. She was the mother of Eärendil, my grandfather. It has been passed down through the generations. I am surprised you know this, Frodo. There is more to you than meets the eye."

He smiled. "Bilbo told me all I know about Elves. He used to tell the tales to Sam and I, more to Sam, though. He loves Elves, everything about them." Frodo's crystal blue eyes grew somber as he looked ahead to the dark blonde head of curls leading Bill along. "Poor Sam. I fear for him every day." The three of us grew silent for a moment, waking (or wading) in the snow in our own thoughts.

"Lady Nienor!" Pippin called from ahead of the group. I gave Aragorn a puzzled glance before walking towards the front of our company.

The young Hobbit and his cousin were wading in the snow with Legolas, his feet barely leaving footprints in the snow. "Yes?" I asked once I reached them.

Instead of Pippin speaking, it was Merry. "How is an Elf's balance?"

"Rather good, I would say," I replied, glancing over at Legolas, who smiled at the pair.

"It's perfect," he stated, quite confident. I saw a mischievous spark light up Merry's grey-green eyes.

"Perfect? I don't think so."

"Why not?" Legolas asked, slightly confused.

Merry nudged Pippin, who somehow got the idea. "Because, if it was perfect, them we could do the hardest test on one's balance without anything happening."

"What's that?" I asked.

"_This!_" the Hobbit cried, and the two of them dove for our legs. Somehow, they managed to twist us in such a way so that I toppled on top of Legolas, and the two of us rolled quite a ways down the hill, passing a confused Frodo and a very amused Estel as we went.

Finally, we rolled to a halt, Legolas stretching out his arms to brace himself and not smother me. We laughed for a moment, snow all over our clothes and clinging to our hair.

"Here," he said softly, brushing a little snow off of my cheek. The two of us stayed there for a moment, until I remembered we were not alone.

"Legolas..." I began, "if it's not too much trouble..."

"What?" he asked. I looked pointedly at our position, him being on top of me on a snowy mountainside. "Oh!" he exclaimed, his cheeks coloring a little in realization. "Yes, of course. I-I'm sorry, I just...that is, I was..."

"Just help her up, laddie," Gimli rumbled.

"Oh, yes...let me help you up."

"Thank you," I replied, still a little dumbstruck as he took my hands in his and pulled me to my feet. "Carry on," I said quickly, still dusting off snow (and probably blushing furiously as he) and falling into step with Aragorn and Frodo again.

"How charming, the grace of the Elves," Aragorn declared, smiling at me. "Don't you agree, Frodo?"

Frodo's own eyes sparkled with a little mirth. "I think I should not stir the wrath of a lady-especially an Elven one."

"How wise you are, Frodo Baggins," I replied, giving Estel a solid punch on the arm.

Several feet higher up the mountain, Frodo himself misstepped, and tumbled down a few feet. As I trotted down to help him up, Aragorn following, Frodo looked panicked.

The Ring was missing.

The three of us looked around frantically, until we saw it, gleaming in the sun. Someone picked it up, slowly, and studied the Ring.

"Boromir?" Aragorn asked.

Boromir ignored him. "It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing...such a little thing." he looked entranced, almost wild.

"Boromir..." I broke the silence harshly, getting his attention. "Give the Ring to Frodo."

He hesitated before speaking. "As you wish. I care not." he handed Frodo the chain, who almost snatched the Ring back, looking at Boromir distrustfully.

Boromir smiled at Frodo, ruffled some of the snow out of his hair, then picked his shield back up and walked away.

Only when Boromir was at a safe distance did Aragorn let go of the hilt of his sword.

****Translations****

_Yendë nin, bedich le ego?_

My daughter, must you go?

_Ada, Im...Im baur na ceri hi._

Father, I...I need to do this.


	5. Chapter 4

**_Author's Note: Marie here! Since I've found myself with a white front yard and no school today and tomorrow, I've actually found time to update! I hope you enjoy this chapter; and if you're wanting to read some other Lord of the Rings-related stuff, please go check out my reboot of _****Star of Dreams****_, in honor of our page's third year anniversary! Sorry for the shameless advertising. Now, enough of my prattling; enjoy!_**

The hike up was gruesome, but the Pass itself was worse.

Everyone was freezing, wading waist-high (or chest-high) in snow. Once again, I whispered a quiet prayer of thanks that I was born an Elf. I walked along the snow lightly, not shivering like my fellow Company members were.

"How are you not cold?" a soft voiced inquired.

I smiled sympathetically at Pippin, his lips tinged blue. "Elves do not get cold, Pippin."

His eyes widened. "Now I really do wish I was an Elf."

I smiled in again at him, dusting some snow off of his curls before walking closer to the front of the Company. I was offering my keen eyes and ears for the Fellowship's advantage, along with Legolas, for two pairs of eyes and ears are better than one.

Suddenly he stopped, listening. "There is a fell voice in the air," he said, glancing over at me. I nodded, hearing the mysterious voice as well. I walked over to where he was, to see if the owner of the voice was near.

"It's Saruman!" Gandalf cried, just as some of Caradhras came downwards. We all sprang away from the edge quickly, Estel getting Gandalf's attention.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain! Gandalf! We must turn back!"

"No!" the Wizard said, obstinate. He raised his staff, chanting in the wind. _"__Losto, Caradhras; sedho, hodo, nuitho I ruith!" _

We could hear the other voice grow stronger for a moment, then lightening cracked, sending an avalance upon us. Legolas pushed me against the mountain's wall, shielding me with his body as the snow cascaded downwards.

When the rumbling ceased, Legolas pulled himself away. "I-I apologize, Lady Nienor."

I smiled. "I think I should be saying thank you, my lord." He eyed me curiously for a moment, then danced on top of the drift to find Gandalf.

As I helped pick the Hobbits out of the snow, Boromir emerged, revealing he was guarding Merry and Pippin from the impact of the snow shower.

"We must get off the mountain! Make for the Gap of Rohan, and take the West road to my city!"

"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" Estel pointed out, his voice sounding strained by the wind.

"We cannot pass over the mountain; let us go under it! Let us go through the Mines of Moria," Gimli repeated his offer, looking to the Wizard. Gandalf looked troubled and perplexed for a moment, contemplating the decision at hand.

"We must get out of here! This will be the death of the Hobbits!" Boromir broke his thoughts, trying to keep Merry and Pippin warm as they shivered, their lips now definitely blue.

"Let the Ring-Bearer decide." Gandalf finally says. "Frodo?" We turned to Frodo, awaiting his decision.

"We go into the Mines," he says finally, shivering a little as he spoke.

Gandalf nodded. "So be it."

The journey to the Mines was relatively uneventful compared to Caradhras. I went to the back of the line again with Aragorn and Frodo, using my higher senses to keep the back of the Fellowship from danger.

"Frodo, come and help an old man." Gandalf called. Frodo went obediently, leaving Estel and I alone.

"How did you get Elrond let you come with us so easily?" he asked me.

The small crack in my heart grew at the question. "He didn't. He wanted me to stay. He...he called me _yendë nin._" Estel's eyes showed sympathy. He was the only one that knew of my past, and that was the way I wanted to keep it. We both knew the way the years had hardened Papa, and Estel understood why this was crushing me so.

"Do not fear, Nienor," he placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Have courage, and make your fathers proud." I opened my mouth to thank him, but was cut off by an exclamation from Gimli.

"The Walls of Moria!" he gaped, then began tapping on the rocks. "Dwarf doors are invisible when closed," he explained to my—and probably most of the Fellowship's—puzzled look.

"Yes, Gimli," Gandalf replied. "Their own masters cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Legolas said, earning a small smile from me and a glare from Gimli.

The Wizard's eyes lit up in recognition as his hands glided over a particular section of stone. "Itidin...it mirrors only starlight and moonlight," he murmured, looking to the sky.

As the moon shone through the trees, a large door formed, delicate sliver lines creating intricate patterns, such as I had never seen.

"What does that say?" Sam whispered next to me, out of Gandalf's earshot.

"It reads, 'The door of Durin, Lord of Moria.'" I translated along with Gandalf, "'Speak, friend, and enter.'"

"What do you suppose that means?" Merry asked.

It's quite simple. If you are a friend, speak the password and the doors will open." Gandalf replied confidently. He pressed his staff against the door, and spoke in an ominous, commanding voice. _"Annon edhellen, edro hi ammen!"_

__The Door remained firmly shut, the lines gleaming a little more.

Gandalf stepped towards the door yet again, putting the head of his staff against the door. _"Ando Eldarinwa a lasta quettanya, Fenda Cassarinwa!"_

Once again, the door stayed closed, unaffected by his words.

"I once knew all the spells in all the tongues of Men, Elves, and Orcs," Gandalf said, I suppose to give himself a little confidence.

"What are you going to do, then?" Pippin asked.

"Knock your head against these doors, Peregrin Took! And if that does not shatter them, and I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions." Gandalf shot back, irritable. "I will try to find the opening words."

We sat there for what seemed like hours, listening to Gandalf utter countless strings of phrases, some I didn't understand. I sat on a rock pulling out my sword and examining it, something to do.

_"Aen estar Hadhafang i chathol hen, thand arod dan i thang an i arwen."_ a clear voice whispered next to me. I glanced over at Legolas  
>sat down next to me, Merry with him.<p>

"What does that mean?" the Hobbit asked, eyeing him curiously.

"It is in Sindarin. It says, _This blade is called Hadhafang, a noble defense against the enemy throng for a noble lady._'" I allowed Legolas to translate alone. "An appropriate weapon for a daughter of Elrond." He touched the blade reverently as Merry walked away, having his fill of language for the day.

Legolas gave me a soft smile, then beckoned me to follow him to where Gandalf was. He had given up, sitting down in defeat. Frodo was standing, looking at the inscription intently. Suddenly, his face lit up.

"It's a riddle..." Gandalf slowly rose again, his eyes beginning to light up at the Ringbearer's words. "Speak 'friend', and enter." Frodo explained before turning to me. "What's the Elvish word for friend?"

_"__Mellon,"_ the three of us replied in unison. The Door separated, groaning open. I gave Frodo a smile of approval, and we followed Gandalf inside.

"Soon, Master Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves." Gimli prattled to Legolas as we all began to look around, the moonlight guiding us. "Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone. This, my friends, is the home of my cousin Balin. And they call it a mine. A mine!"

I stopped dead in my tracks, noticing something. I thought my mind was playing tricks on my mind, but Boromir proved me wrong.

"This is no mine," he said lowly, stunned. "It's a tomb."

We all looked around, seeing skeletons scattered everywhere, arrows gleaming out of the majority of them.

"No. No!" Gimli said in denial, racing to a skeleton to identify it. "NO!" he wailed in dispair as Legolas pulled out an arrow from a Dwarf skeleton.

"Goblins!" he hissed, readying an arrow to the string. I followed his lead, keeping close to Frodo as we all slowly inched back towards the door.

"We make for the Gap of Rohan," Boromir said. "We should never have come here. Now, get out of here. Get out!" Frodo lost his balance slightly, leaning on me. Suddenly he was jerked away, and dragged out of the Mines.

"Strider!" I heard Sam cry. Frodo was being dragged towards the water, an ominuos beast at the other end. Vicisously Aragorn hacked the tentacle in half, and I helped Frodo to safety. There was a brief moment of peace….

Then I was slammed to the ground and dragged away.

"Estel!" I screamed as I dangled in the air, having lost hold of my bow in my sudden desent to the hard stone floor.

"Aragorn!" Frodo cried, in the same state as I. Boromir and Estel began chopping tentacles, and Legolas shot some arrows. The tentacle that held Frodo vanished suddenly, along with him.

"Legolas!" I heard Estel below me. With another swing, I was falling, landing gently in Legolas' arms.

"Into the Mines!" Gandalf cried, shepherding the Hobbits inside. Legolas sat me down, and shot a final arrow into the beast's eye before taking off, grasping my arm to make sure I made it. The beast, enraged, crawled towards the entrance, dragging the huge stones of the Door downwards, creating a crumbling heap.

Legolas' face as we watched ahead for the beast was the last thing I saw before the last stone fell in place, surrounding us with thick darkness.

A light suddenly appeared, revealed to be Gandalf, a crystal lodged in his staff. "We now have but one choice," Gandalf said solumnly, the dim light of  
>the crystal casting an odd glow on his wizened face. "We must brave the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world."<p>

After we gathered our thoughts, we followed him into this strange, dark place, not knowing what could be in store.

****Translations****

_Losto, Caradhras; sedho, hodo, nuitho I ruith!_

Sleep, Caradhras; be still, lie still, hold your wrath!

_Annon edhellen, edro hi ammen!_

Gates of the Elves, open now for me!

_Ando Eldarinwa a lasta quettanya, Fenda Cassarinwa!_

Gate of the Elves, listened to my word, Threshold of Dwarves!


	6. Chapter 5

**_Author's Note: After a long night of breaking this chapter completely apart and piecing it back together, I have (finally) written Chapter Five! So so so SO sorry for the wait! Here we go! _**

We walked mostly in silence, save for the occasional word Merry spoke to Pippin as the rest of us prayed our presence would go unnoticed by any other creatures that could be lurking in the shadows.

As we walked in a single-file line on a narrow bridge, Gandalf touched the wall, studying it before shining his staff down an abandoned mine shaft. "The wealth of Moria is not in gold, or jewels, but Mithril."

Small gasps bounced behind me as the cavern sparkled and shined with a beautiful, silvery metal. "It looks like stars," Pippin whispered behind me.

I turned, smiling at him. "Starlight even in the darkest places, I suppose." The young Took nodded, eyes still wide with awe.

"Bilbo had a shirt of Mithril rings that Thorin gave him," Gandalf began as we continued to move.

Gimli exhaled, almost in shock. "That was a Kingly gift!"

"Yes," the wizard agreed, walking a few steps before lowering his voice. "I never told him, but its worth was greater than the value of The Shire." I heard a small gasp behind me, no doubt it was from Frodo, but I decided to leave the Hobbit alone. He was troubled enough as it was.

After that, we climbed a set of ladder-like stairs, reaching a three-way fork, and an odd look came across Gandalf's face. "I have no memory of the place," the wizard murmured, setting off a silent signal for everyone to rest for a while.

I settled myself on a small rock, leaning against the stone wall as Gandalf and Frodo spoke to each other softly as the wizard tried to remember where he was.

"You dropped these." A voice handed me my bow and arrow.

"Thank you," I smiled, placing the bow beside me and the arrow in my quiver as Legolas sat on the stone in front of me. "I wonder where we...how far underground we are."

"I do not like the looks of this place," Legolas said softly.

"Me neither," I replied. "It seems...too dark."

Legolas nodded. "Yes, the Morning Sun should not like the darkness of the Mines."

I laughed, dipping my head. "No, not at all. There is truly no place like home."

"I've always wondered why you would leave your home..." His voice trailed off as he studied my face in the soft light we had. "You remind me of someone I once knew, a very long time ago."

I tried to conceal my panic. "I do?"

"Yes," Legolas replied. "She was the daughter of the captain of my father's guards. We grew up together. She had great skill with a bow; her father taught her many things. She was also...very beautiful."

I felt heat rushing to my cheeks. "I suppose you must have fancied her, then."

"I may have," Legolas admitted, his own face beginning to glow. "However, before I could tell her such things...she vanished."

"Why?" I asked, genuinely curious to know his reasoning.

"Many years ago, our home was attacked by Orcs. At his orders, the captain's wife and daughter fled, intending to take refuge Rivendell until the danger had passed. Several weeks passed; neither one had returned. Once a patrol led by the captain himself found his wife's body...he himself died of a broken heart. If she is out there...it would be a miracle."

"Perhaps she is out there still," I began, trying to give him some hope. "It will be hard, though, for her to realise she's lost both of her parents. Did she have any brothers or sisters?"

"No; however, she does have relatives that dwell in Lothlórien."

I bit my lip, regretting that I had not seen it fit to speak to my own cousins about my survival. "Once this quest is over...I'll help you look for her, if you wish."

Legolas smiled a little. "If we both survive Gandalf's directions."

"And Gimli's abhorrent snoring," I added, forcing us to bite back laughter as the dwarf in question glanced our way. "But, Legolas...we will find her."

"I am grateful for your willingness to aid me," the Prince replied, though he looked troubled. "I just do not know where to begin."

Summoning my courage, I took his hand. "One step at a time. You are not alone." He sighed, squeezing my hand and closing his eyes. In this peaceful solitude, I heard Frodo's small voice.

"I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened."

"So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide," Gandalf replied to him, his voice warm and wise. "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring. In which case, you also were meant to have it...and that is an encouraging thought." He suddenly straightened, a sparkle in his eye. "Ah! It's that way!" Gandalf pointed to the tunnel on the right. Legolas released my and we scrambled to resume the march.

"He's remembered!" Merry said cheerfully.

"No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here," Gandalf replied. "When in doubt, Meriodoc, always follow your nose." he chuckled as he

patted Merry on the back.

* * *

><p>"Let me risk a little more light," Gandalf said after a while of walking. His staff blazed a white light, and huge halls were illuminated, with vast ceilings and powerful pillars. "Behold! The great realm and Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf!" I gazed around me, stunned at the majestic city that had opened up before us.<p>

"Well, there's an eye opener and no mistake!" Sam said breathlessly, his face bright with awe.

"I agree," I whispered. Sam smiled, then I continued to look around me. I caught sight of a room with the door ripped away from it like an old curtain. A beam of sunlight was falling from the ceiling, and I could make out several skeletons at the door. Gimli spotted it as well, and gave a small shout before running towards it.

"Gimli!" Gandalf shouted, but the stubborn Dwarf ignored him, causing the rest of us to follow after him. We entered the doorway just as we found him, sobbing over a stone slab in the centre of the room, and the sunbeam bathing it with it's warmth.

"No...no...oh, no!" Gimli moaned, shuddering with grief. I looked at the runes carved into the stone.

"'Here lies Balin, son of Fudin, Lord of Moria.'" I read, giving Gandalf a quick glance. He nodded.

"He is dead, then. As I had feared." Gandalf's gaze went to an old book in the clutches of a skeleton. He gave his hat and staff to Pippin and scooped up the book carefully. I walked away from the grief-stricken Gimli and stood next to Aragorn. Legolas approached, worry in his eyes.

"We must move on; we cannot linger." He opened his mouth to say something else, but was cut off by Gandalf's reading.

"'They have taken the Bridge and the second hall: we have barred the gates...but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes...drums, drums in the deep...we cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. Will no one save us? We cannot get out. They are coming.'"

**_Crash! _**

A loud noise made all of us look at Pippin. He gave an innocent face, but a skeleton slid down the well behind him, screeching and screaming as it fell down an abandoned shaft.

"Fool of a Took!" Gandalf barked, snatching his staff and hat back. "Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" Chastised, Pippin looked at the point of tears.

"Mr. Frodo!" Sam said softly. Frodo looked at his sword, pulling the thing from it's sheath. It was glowing a cobalt blue.

"Orcs!" Legolas exclaimed. Automatically, I had an arrow on a string while Boromir and Aragorn set to barring the doors.

"Get back! Stay close to Gandalf," Aragorn instructed the Hobbits, who crowded around the Wizard.

Slamming a bar into the door, Boromir looked to Aragorn. "They have a cave troll!" he groaned.

"That's fan_tastic_!" I muttered under my breath, Legolas hearing me and smiling a little. We then assembled together, Gimli standing on his cousin's grave. I stood close to Legolas as some of the unknown creatures clawed at the door. Legolas let one arrow fly, and I shot another one as he reloaded.

"Ahh, let them come!" Gimli roared. "There is one Dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!"

The dwarf got his wish.

The door broke, Goblins lugging in a cave troll. Legolas and I began firing rounds, trying to shield the Hobbits as best as we could. Eventually Gandalf and the Hobbits joined into the fray, all of us trying to avoid the cave troll. Aragorn got a little engaged with it, and it swung his club at him, causing Aragorn to stumble.

"Estel!" I shouted, unable to get to him. Boromir saved him just as the cave troll tried to give a death blow.

"I think I'm getting the hang of this." I heard Sam say, followed by the clang of a frying pan. I gave a small laugh before getting reengaged. I noticed that the troll was missing...when I heard a scream.

"Ara-Aragorn! Aragorn!"

Frodo.

The cave troll had him cornered. Aragorn rushed over, thrusting a spear at it, to which the cave troll revolted, flinging Aragorn against the wall and rendering him unconscious.

"Aragorn!" I cried, unable to get to him as the cave troll refocused on it's original target.

"Frodo!" all of us cried, trying to ward off attackers to go defend the Ringbearer. However, before any of us could, the cave troll's aim got lucky, and the spear found it's mark in Frodo's stomach.

"_FRODO_!" Sam screamed. Everything seemed to slow down as Frodo slumped to the ground with a groan...

Then the Hobbits went mad, slashing at everything in sight. Legolas, with the aid of Merry, finally shot the cave troll in the neck. It stood almost shocked for a moment, then slowly toppled to the ground, flinging Merry and Pippin off it's head with the force.

Aragorn, finally back with us, crawled over to Frodo's limp body, Sam not far behind. "Oh, Frodo..." Aragorn breathed. "I'm so sorry." Gently, he raised the upper half of Hobbit's body.

Frodo sputtered and gasped, grabbing for air.

"He's alive!" Sam looked ready to shed tears of relief.

"I'm all right," Frodo gasped, "I'm not hurt."

"You should be dead." Aragorn's hoarse voice showed disbelief. "That spear would've skewered a wild boar!"

"I think there's more to this Hobbit than meets the eye," Gandalf said wisely. Frodo gave him a quick glance, then lowered his shirt front to reveal a shiny, silver mail-like shirt underneath.

"Mithril!" Gimli gasped. "You are full of surprises, Master Baggins." We all marvelled at the garment for a moment, then we heard another unsettling noise.

Gandalf turned to us, his eyes bright. "To the Bridge of Khazad-dûm!"

_**A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Please review! If you're in the mood for some more Legolas-related **_**_tics, please go drop by my other story, _To Dream Again_, a try it out! Thanks again!_**


	7. Chapter 6

Set Free—Chapter Six

**_Author's Note: Marie here, hoping this chapter doesn't sound horrible. This chapter ending took a lot of thinking, so I hope it sounds all right! Here we go!_**

"This way!" Gandalf shouted. We sprinted onward, until we got to the large hallway we had entered some time before. Orcs and goblins began pouring out of, well...everywhere. Quickly we were surrounded by the snarling things. We all stood back to back, and Gimli growled in an attempt to scare them away.

_Boom._

I froze, looking around, though my bow was still drawn._ What was that? _

_Boom._

Suddenly, the goblins began to scatter. Gimli laughed, thinking he had done it.

_Boom_. The noise happened again.

"What is this new devilry?" Boromir asked, having Merry and Pippin close by.

"A Balrog..." Gandalf said slowly. "A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you." He turned towards us and, for the first time, I saw a gleam of fear in his eyes. "Run!"

We sprinted, making sure to keep the Hobbits in the center of the group so they didn't fall behind. "Lead them on, Aragorn." I heard Gandalf saying to Aragorn. "The Bridge is near." I glanced over quickly as Legolas pulled Boromir from falling over the edge, seeing the doubt in Aragorn's eyes, his hand on his sword hilt. "Do as I say!" Gandalf cried. "Swords are no more use here." Aragorn went on, leading the way, and we approached a crumbling, narrow bridge.

With some help, Legolas jumped first, landing gracefully. "Gandalf," he motioned for the wizard. Carefully, Gandalf jumped, landing on the other side.

"Merry! Pippin!" Boromir warned the Hobbits before gathering them in his arms and jumping with them, Gandalf and Legolas catching them and making sure they were safe.

After he had thrown Sam over, Aragorn went to toss Gimli, but Gimli waved him off. "No one tosses a Dwarf!" he growled, the jumped. He tottered a little at the edge, but Legolas grabbed his beard quickly. "Not the beard!" he cried, and he finally made it over the edge.

"Nienor!" Legolas shouted. Taking a deep breath, I jumped, Boromir catching me by my waist and setting me on my feet between him and Legolas.

After making sure the three Hobbits that had crossed were safe, I looked up just as the crack widened, Aragorn and Frodo still on the other side. "Estel!" I called.

"Hang on!" he said to Frodo. Frodo clutched his arm. "Lean forward!" Aragorn commanded again. They both leaned forward, and the bridge part began to move towards us, finally landing with a crash. We helped them on the steady side as the weak part fell away.

"Over the Bridge! Fly!" Gandalf shouted. I broke off into a sprint, going over the narrow bridge. I could see the deep chasm of darkness below; forcing my eyes upward, I kept my gaze on Legolas' cloak until I reached the other side. I then quickly turned around to see who was left.

"You cannot pass!" Gandalf was saying. I raised my eyes, seeing a huge, fiery black beast that Gandalf was confronting. _By the Valar…_

"Gandalf!" Frodo cried.

"I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor." Gandalf's staff began to glow as his words took effect, forming a dome of light around him. "The Dark Fire will not avail you, Flame of Udûn!" The Balrog reared back, cracking it's whip. "Go back to the Shadow," Gandalf hissed, and there was a loud ring in the air as the Balrog and Gandalf's swords clashed.

"_YOU, SHALL NOT, PASS!_" Gandalf roared, planting his staff firmly into the bridge. The Balrog, defiant, took a step forward, but the bridge collapsed, and the beast fell into the chasm below. I sighed with relief; it was gone.

Wearily, Gandalf turned around to face us, but was jerked almost completely off the bridge, managing to grab the edge with his fingers.

"Gandalf!" Frodo cried. Without hesitation, I ran, trying to get to Gandalf. I didn't see the stone that caused my ankle to turn; I collapsed inches away from the edge. Helpless, I could only watch as Gandalf struggled to pull himself up, but slipped further. He looked to all of us before his eyes settled on me, taking a deep breath.

"Fly, you fools!" he whispered.

Then, he was gone.

"_NO!_" Frodo wailed behind me.

"Gandalf!" I screamed as Legolas picked me up and carried me out of the Mines. I heard Boromir call Aragorn's name, and eventually we all stumbled out of the Mines of Moria, dazed as reality slowly but surely sank in.

Merry sank down next to Pippin, trying to comfort him as he had collapsed, his tears slowly beginning to melt the snow around him. Sam held his head in his hands, and even Gimli looked dejected as I sobbed in Legolas' arms, my ankle still throbbing.

"Legolas, get them up!" Aragorn said, a little stern.

"Give them a moment, for pity's sake!" Boromir said vehemently.

"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with Orcs! We must reach the Woods of Lothlórien." He sheathed his sword, then walked over to Sam, coaxing the rest. "Come, Boromir, Legolas. Gimli, get them up. On your feet, Sam." Slowly, the younger Hobbits pulled themselves together, though Pippin had latched on to Boromir and was still sobbing. "Frodo?" Aragorn called. "Frodo!"

There he was, walking away slowly. He turned around, his eyes red-rimmed, tears rolling down his face. I stifled a cry for him. Frodo looked so lost, so alone. One of his closest friends, a man that was like a mentor to him, was gone. I felt his pain, knowing it would only hardly dull on our long trek to Lothlórien.

It was going to be a long, painful trip.

* * *

><p>"Can you walk?" Legolas asked me as we rested.<p>

I gave him a small smirk. "What, the Prince of Mirkwood can't hold a simple Elven Lady?"

"I can—quite well, but—"

"Weight has nothing to do with it, if that's what you're thinking. Like a twig am I."

"After about three days, the twig becomes a log."

"I'd wager that Gimli could carry me straight to the gates of Mordor with no need for respite." I saw Gimli's chest puff up in the corner of my eye.

"Let's move!" Aragorn demanded. I sighed, about to stand, when my feet left the ground.

"What?" Legolas asked, feinging innocence. "Like a twig you are."

I smiled. "You know I was only joking."

"Perhaps."

_Males and their pride._ I smiled secretly as Legolas and Gimli attempted to...'bicker'. The four of us—Estel, Legolas, Gimli, and I—had began to form a tight bond. Of course, I was close to the Hobbits as well; they each had such wonderful personalities that each had a magnetic feel about them: you couldn't leave them standing all alone if you could help it.

Boromir, however...I still had some resentment towards the Man of Gondor. He'd scoffed at Estel's beautiful lineage, and it still bothered me. I admired his fierce protection of Merry

and Pippin, but friendship? It was a slim possibility.

I sighed in Legolas' arms, trying to break the silence that had formed between us. "Legolas?"

"Yes?" he asked.

"Are we close?"

Legolas closed his eyes, breathing in. "The river, the trees…yes, we are close. I can feel it."

Suddenly, I heard Gimli's voice whispering from behind me. "Stay close, young Hobbits! They say a Sorceress lives in these woods. An Elf Witch of terrible power. All who look upon her, fall under her spell…" I though about scolding the Dwarf, but I held my tongue. In truth, I had never gazed upon the Lady Galadriel, so I did not know if Gimli's words rang true.

"Perhaps she is a snare to the Dwarves," Boromir threw in, making the Hobbits chuckle a little, relieving some tension.

Gimli snorted. "Well, here's one Dwarf she won't ensnare so easily. I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox!"

Those eyes, however, did not see the tip of the arrow that was pointed at them until it was mere inches away.

In a swift motion, Legolas put me on my feet for a moment, and we both had arrows to strings, pointing out from our Company and towards the other bowmen that had found us.

With my back turned, I heard a familiar voice. "The Dwarf breathes so loud, we could have shot him in the dark." I squeezed my eyes shut in realization. _Haldir._

"What do they want?" Pippin's voice was small and hoarse from crying as Aragorn spoke to the Elf ahead of us.

"We have to go with them to the trees," Legolas replied, both of us putting our bows away before turning to me. "How is your ankle?"

After standing on it for the few moments, my ankle was not screaming as it had been before, but it was still aching. "I'm not sure if I can walk the entire way on my own…"

He nodded in understanding, putting an arm around my waist and allowing me to lean on him for support. "It shouldn't be too far."

* * *

><p>When we finally reached one of the beautiful Mallorn trees, Legolas had to carry me the rest of the way. Now we stood before Haldir and his company of Elves.<p>

"_Mae govannen, Legolas Thranduilion,_" he said softly, placing his hand on his chest and bowing his head.

Legolas repeated the gesture. "_Govannas vîn gwennen le, Haldir o Lórien._"

Haldir's blue eyes fell upon Estel. "_A, Aragorn in Dúnedain istannen le ammen._"

Aragorn bowed his head as well. "Haldir."

Gimli growled from behind me. "So much for the legendary courtesy of the Elves! Speak words we can also understand!"

Haldir's head snapped to the shorter, red-headed member of our Company. "We have not had dealings with the Dwarves, since…" His voice trailed off as his blue eyes widened as he found…me. "A-Alase?"

Legolas turned, looking at me with new eyes. "What?"

Haldir stepped past Aragorn, his eyes gleaming with unshed tears. "All these years…" My cousin pulled me into his arms, and my own eyes began to fill. "I thought you were dead."

"It _is_ you," Legolas whispered behind me, and I realized I had been lying to the only link to my home.

**_A/N: So…was it terrible? Please review—but be gentle! If you need other things to read, go check out mine and Lindsey's other stories! Be back soon!_**

****Translations****

_Mae govannen, Legolas Thranduilion._

Welcome Legolas, son of Thranduil.

_Govannas vîn gwennen le, Haldir o Lórien._

Our Fellowship stands in your debt, Haldir of Lórien.

_A, Aragorn in Dúnedain; istannen le ammen._

Oh, Aragorn of the Dúnedain; you are known to us.


	8. Chapter 7

_**Author**__**'**__**s Note: Hello! Marie here with some of my bearings and another chapter! August marked the start of my first year of college, so getting used to a new chapter of my life has taken some time. However, as summer approaches, I shall (hopefully) be able to update more often! Here**__**'**__**s the chapter**__**—**__**again, sorry for taking so long!**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** …**__**.my name is neither J.R.R. Tolkien nor Peter Jackson. There.**_

The sun had long since vanished once Haldir released me, his composure regained. "_Mae__govannen, Alasse_," he said softly, before his gaze turned to Frodo. "You bring great evil with you," he said sternly to the Hobbit before turning to Estel. "You may go no further."

While Aragorn followed my cousin to plead our case, I remained rooted to my spot, feeling all the eyes of the Fellowship trained on me. _She lied_, their gazes seem to hiss and they tore like knives into my back. Understanding the way they all felt betrayed—and knowing I could do nothing about it, I bowed my head and remained silent, feeling smaller and lonelier than I had since I was thrown at Papa's door.

I jumped as a pair of fingertips raised my chin. I felt my face flush as I looked into the eyes of Legolas himself, the fields of blue staring at my soul. "How could I not have known?" the Prince—_my_ Prince—asked, his question not for my ears or those of the Fellowship. Somehow, the only anger his eyes held was turned inwards.

"Legolas…" I began, but he walked away before I could continue, causing me to fall silent again.

Haldir's footsteps interrupted my revere as he looked towards us all. "You will follow me," he said before turning away again, intent on leading us all through the forest.

Most of the walk through the forest was uneventful and dark, until Estel's hand rested on my shoulder for a moment. "Are you all right?" he asked, his voice low.

I managed a nod. "I'm not sure about the Company's thoughts about me now."

"Alasse!" a voice called from ahead. Wincing at my true name, I exchanged a quick glance with Aragorn before carefully walking off the path to my cousin, Legolas beside him.

"Yes, Haldir?" I asked, careful to avoid the gaze of the Prince.

"It has come to my attention that you have never visited me in my home," Haldir began as our walk took us uphill, taking one of my hands in his own and lacing our fingers together.

Fond memories from a time I had nearly forgotten rushed to the front of my mind as I forced myself to blink back tears. "Ada always said it was too far for a lady to journey alone. When you would come and visit Mirkwood, though…" I smiled. "You were never sure which way was North. After your first…adventure," here Legolas even appeared interested as the tips of Haldir's ears began to redden, "I made a point to wait outside of the forest for you, so I could to take you by the hand and make sure you made it to the our home before daybreak." I opened my mouth to tease him about his misadventure; however, the stunning view of a valley crowned by a cluster of the tallest trees I had ever beheld took my breath away. "Haldir…" I gasped, Legolas himself looking impressed.

Haldir smile at me as we neared a clearing, raising his voice so the entire Fellowship could hear. "_Caras Galadhon_. The heart of Elvendom on earth. Realm of the Lord Celeborn and of Galadriel, Lady of Light."

As the Hobbits gasped and murmured to each other in awe, Haldir turned to me, his eyes shining. "At last, Alasse, you come to Lothlórien."

Walking up the winding stairway that was a part of the tree, no matter how long it took, left me enchanted. As Haldir led us to the Lady Galadriel and her husband, he would glance back at us all, catching my awestruck gaze and grinning before walking on.

We stopped at another stair, this time to await the rulers of the realm. "It's…"

"Beautiful," a smaller folk finished for me, looking up at me with a smile. My heart broke as I realized it was Pippin—someone I had _lied_ to.

"I hope you're not angry with me," I finally confessed to the young Hobbit. "I'll explain—"

"It's all right," Pippin assured. "You just have another name, like Strider." As I breathed a sigh of relief at the Hobbit's thoughts, a gleaming ray of light caught my eye.

It was Lord Celeborn and the Lady herself, walking towards us hand-in-hand. I touched my fingers to my brow and inclined my head in respect as they approached, lifting my eyes as I heard Lord Celeborn begin to speak.

"The Enemy knows you have entered here. What hope you had in secrecy is now gone. Nine that are here yet ten there were set out from Rivendell. Tell me where is Gandalf? For I much desire to speak with him. I can no longer see him from afar."

I trembled with grief as the Lady's piercing blue eyes roamed over us all, settling on Estel's. She began to speak, her voice low. "Gandalf the Grey, did not pass the borders of this land. He has fallen into Shadow." Her husband looked towards her in a sort of wonder, as if through all the years of their marriage she could still amaze him.

Legolas raised his voice as best as he could. "He was taken by both Shadow and flame. A Balrog of Morgoth. For we went needlessly into the net of Moria."

Lady Galadriel's golden hair fluttered for a moment as she shook her head. "Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life. We do not yet know his full purpose." Her gaze began to wander again, lowering to the Dwarf of our Company. "Do not let the great emptiness of Khazad-dûm fill your heart, Gimli, son of Glóin. For the world has grown full of peril. And in all lands love is now mingled with grief." She then turned her eyes to Boromir, who began to tremble and had to turn away. I then marveled at the Lady myself, wondering how one so fair could force a Man to such a state without uttering a single word.

Lord Celeborn's voice broke my revere. "What now becomes of this Fellowship? Without Gandalf, hope is lost."

"The quest stands upon the edge of a knife," Lady Galadriel answered. "Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all." Her eyed landed on the Hobbits, smiling softly. "Yet hope remains, while the Company is true."

_True_. Ice ran down my spine.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled," the Lady's voice broke my thoughts again. "Go now and rest, for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight, you will sleep in peace."

With a bow, Haldir led us away from the royal couple, my eyes still downcast.

Back on the ground, sheltered by the roots of one of the large trees, I emerged in a silver sleeping gown Haldir gave me, my hair unbound and brushed.

I took a step towards our camp, but suddenly a hand grabbed my wrist. "Boromir," I managed, holding a hand to my chest. "You startled me."

His eyes were cryptic, withholding something from me. "What shall we call you now?" his voice cut through me again, reminding me of my false name I had given them.

I took a deep breath. "The one I gave to you means sorrow, for that is what I felt when I came to Rivendell. I felt my old name…Alasse…bares no more meaning for me. Choose for yourself what you wish to call me." Satisfied, he released my wrist, and I walked towards the Hobbits and doing my best to help them find a suitable place to sleep.

Pippin's eyes brightened at the sight of me. "Lady Nienor!" he chirped.

"Fool of a Took, it's Lady Alasse!" Frodo admonished, his tone light.

"Whatever is easiest for you to remember, Master Took, that is what I shall answer to," I smoothed over, tucking a pillow under the Hobbit's head. As I stood, a small gasp escaped me as I heard singing floating down from the trees.

"Lady Alasse?" Sam inquired as a tear rolled down my cheek. "Are you all right?"

"A lament for Gandalf," a voice explained. I looked and saw Legolas, in Elven nightdress as I was, carrying a pitcher full of water.

"What do they say about him?" Merry asked, looking towards the trees, then to the two of us.

_Mithrandir, Mithrandir! O Pilgrim Grey!_

My eyes filled with tears as Legolas spoke. "We have not the heart to tell you. For us the grief is still too near."

Sam fussed with his pillow for a moment. "I bet they don't mention his fireworks," he began. "There should be a verse about them." Without hesitation, he stood and began to add to the Elves' song.

"_The finest rockets ever seen__  
><em>_They burst in stars of blue and green__  
><em>_Or after thunder, silver showers__…"_ His voice trailed off just in time for me to hear a loud thump!, for Aragorn had slapped a snoring Gimli for his disrespect. "_…__Came falling like a__…__rain of flowers_—Oh, that doesn't do them justice by a long road," Sam finished, sitting down again.

I smiled at the Hobbit before glancing over, seeing Legolas' blue eyes beckoning me. I waved goodbye to the Hobbits before following him to an open, empty glade.

For a moment, we stood in silence, his back to me as I looked around, my eyes drinking in the cool evening we had been given.

The Prince finally turned to face me, his eyes hard. "You left."

I took a deep breath. "I was told to leave."

"But you didn't come back."

"No."

"Why?" His voice began to lose some of its composure. "I watched your father search for you relentlessly for years—he died thinking you were dead!"

"I thought _he_ was dead!" I fired back. "I saw—I saw him get cut down by those—those _monsters_!" My hands began to tremble as the memories I had fought so hard to forget began to flash through my mind, tears filling my eyes as I closed them. "He told us to run…"

"_Get her out of here, Uilosbes! _Get out!"

"We got on our horses and fled, as hard as we could. We spent nights in caves, in trees, trying to get to Rivendell. We were so close…"

"_Alasse!__" __she shouts.__The things are coming closer.__ "__Go! Run!__" _

"_No!__" __I scream.__ "__I won__'__t leave you!__" _

"We were so close…" I barely registered the fact that I had sat down among the leaves and grass, tears streaming down my cheeks. "Mother commanded my horse to run, and she did…the next thing I knew, I was sitting at the feet of Lord Elrond, my mother's screams echoing into Imladris." Once I opened my eyes again, I saw Legolas kneeling before me, his eyes damp as well. "I never came back, and never spoke my true name, because there was nothing for me there, in Mirkwood. Only sorrow remained…only sorrow dwells in me."

"Such a storm within your eyes," he said softly, "now I understand." He rose, taking my hand. "I wish I could bring the joy I once saw in you back…the joy that I…" his voice trailed off, sighing.

"Legolas?" I asked. "What?"

He shook his head, looking to the sky. "The sun is nearly upon us."

I nodded, letting the unspoken thought vanish. "I've always heard it said that time was a lost thing here."

Legolas turned to me, his eyes sparkling. "Do you remember when Haldir came to Mirkwood the spring before you came of age?"

The memory fluttered to life before my very eyes; I began to smile. "We were singing songs around a fire of all the homes of the Elves…"

"Do you remember the one he taught us? About this very place?" He pulled me to my feet, leading me to the center of the glen.

"I don't remember it all, and you know I don't sing that well…" I began.

Legolas shook his head in disagreement, walking around the glen and beginning to sing.

"_From the West she appeared,_

_Sunlight and stars in her hair._

_In her eyes an undying memory of home,_

_A land that is magical and fair.__" _

He began to turn around me, weaving his melody through my hair, twisting upwards toward the trees.

"_When her feet came to rest,_

_Deep in a canopied glade,_

_She lifted her face and there she danced,_

_The realm of Lothl__ó__rien she made.__" _

At his pleading gaze, I couldn't resist singing, my harmony brightening his blue eyes even more.

"_Gaze on me, Lady of Gold!_

_Reawaken my slumbering soul!_

_Beacon of courage summon me home,_

_To your haven of wonders untold__…" _

We continued to sing, jumping at the sight of more Elves entering the glen and singing with us, a grinning Haldir at their head as our feet began to move in the dance he had taught us ages ago—when everything was as it should have been in the world

"_L__ó__rien laur__ë__,_

_A laiqa alcar!_

_O Ehtele lisse_

_Nimrodel A_

_Ny__é__re auta.__" _

"_A L__ó__rien laur__ë__!__" _Legolas and I called, looking around us in wonder as the rest of our kin joined us.

"_A L__ó__rien laur__ë__!__" _

Legolas took me by my waist, spinning me in the air as all of our voices soared above the wind as one, leaves falling around us.

"_L__ó__rien laur__ë__!_

_A laiqa alcar!_

_Or__ë á__ro!_

_Lothl__ó__rien!__" _

All of our voices trailed off and our feet slowed to a stop, for we saw a soft light coming to the glen. The Lady Galadriel herself had arrived, her eyes sparkling with joy at our presence as she opened her mouth, the purest melody I had ever heard coming from her.

"_Oh, child of my heart,_

_Born of a never-ending dream._

_You were cradled in light,_

_Bathed in an ever-flowing stream.__" _

She neared Legolas and me as we stood awestruck in the center of the glen, smiling kindly at us as she looked at her forest with pride.

"_Flourish and grow,__my mystical world,_

_Here you will ever belong._

_Son of my yearning,_

_Daughter of hope,_

_Beautiful child of my song__…" _

I looked down, seeing that the Lady of Light had placed my hand in Legolas' as she had passed by. Daughter of hope, she had called me, before stretching her arms towards the forest itself, her child. Could her words one day ring true again for me?

"_Although storms may descend,_

_Mountain and valley may quake,__" _Lady Galadriel continued, looking at her people, her Golden Wood, with determination and fierce love.

"_For the days that remain,_

_This is the promise I make:_

_No shadow fall across this land,_

_Before the wind and fire I stand,_

_And you my child will know no harm,_

_Enfolded in my arms,_

_Lothl__ó__rien!__" _

Legolas never let go of my hand as we all joined her, singing and dancing as one once again.

"_Garden of Wonder!_

_Haven of Starlight!__" _

Lady Galadriel's voice soared above all of ours as I looked, noticing the forest growing brighter. It was nearly dawn.

"_Forest of Light!_

_Lothl__ó__rien!__" _

"_Garden of Light!__" _Lady Galadriel called, the sun slowly appearing from the East.

"_Garden of Wonder!__" _we all replied as leaves began to fall again, the rising sun turning them to gold.

"_Haven of Sun!__" _

"_Haven of Starlight!__" _

"_Forest of Light!__" _

"_Forest of Light!__" _

"_Child of my heart!__" _

"_Lothl__ó__rien!__" _

I looked to Legolas as the song—and the Lady herself—melted into the forest again with her people, being almost magically replaced by the sun. "Are you all right?" I asked.

"This is the first time I have sang and danced with you since you left," he replied. "It is good to hear you sing again." Unable to contain his joy any longer, he wrapped his arms around me, sighing. "I've missed you, Alasse, _mellon nin_," he breathed.

"And I you, Legolas," I replied, finally realizing how true that statement really was. "I have missed you."

_**A/N: I don**__**'**__**t own **_**The Lord of the Rings**_** musical, either. Saved that disclaimer for last as to not spoil the**____**surprise! **__**If you haven**__**'**__**t heard Lothl**__**ó**__**rien, you should definitely look it up and give it a listen. **__**Hope y**__**'**__**all liked it!**_

****Translations****

_L__ó__rien laur__ë__,_

_A laiqa alcar!_

(Golden dream,

Oh green glory!)

_O Ehtele lisse_

_Nimrodel A_

_Ny__é__re auta._

(Sweet springs of the Nimrodel,

Oh grief passes.)

_A L__ó__rien laur__ë__!_

(Oh golden dream!)

_Or__ë á__ro_

(Heart of the dawn!)

_Mellon nin_

(My friend)


End file.
